Strategic HR Solutions Lead to Talent Acquisition Success

Q: What inspired the founding of VON DER HEIDE, and what challenges and opportunities have you encountered since expanding into the Mexican market?

A:  VON DER HEIDE is driven by a clear vision: to foster workplace prosperity by connecting individuals with meaningful career opportunities. Founder Susana von der Heide aimed to elevate professional growth by creating a platform where talent can thrive, and companies can find their ideal candidates. Founded in Argentina, we have collaborated with thousands of clients across Latin America, delivering customized HR solutions through our three subsidiaries in Argentina, Chile, and Mexico.

Our expansion into Mexico, the largest Spanish-speaking market in Latin America, opened doors to significant growth and collaboration opportunities. Over the past 15 years, we have established a strong presence in Mexico, viewing it as a crucial market for our services. The Mexican market offers a unique blend of challenges and opportunities. Challenges include navigating cultural differences and understanding the complexities of the local business environment. However, this complexity also enables us to tailor our services to meet the specific needs of local companies, particularly in digital businesses (e-commerce, marketplace, fintech, and others) as well as in the retail, pharma, and agribusiness sectors, where our understanding of Latin American talent truly stands out.

Q: What role does technology play in your talent acquisition efforts, what technologies have you implemented to streamline this process? 

A: Technology plays a critical role in our talent acquisition efforts. We leverage advanced HR technologies and platforms to streamline our recruitment processes, enhance the candidate experience, and increase efficiency. Our innovative AI-powered applicant tracking system enables us to quickly analyze large volumes of resumes and match candidates to the specific requirements of our clients.

We also use data analytics to gain insights into market trends and candidate behavior, allowing us to make more informed decisions in our talent acquisition strategies. This technological integration accelerates recruitment and improves our ability to identify and attract top talent, resulting in successful placements in Mexico and abroad.

Our clients can visualize the recruitment process from the start, work collaboratively with us, and improve their time-to-hire and profile accuracy indicators. Additionally, by leveraging technology to automate tasks, we can engage in more meaningful interactions with clients and candidates, facilitating a mutual selection process.

Q: How do you help clients strike a balance between employers pushing for a return to the office and employees who are resisting in favor of a remote or hybrid work model?

A:  VON DER HEIDE adopts a progressive approach that prioritizes flexibility as a cultural value. Recognizing that a one-size-fits-all model is ineffective, we collaborate with clients to incorporate labor market expectations into the conversation. After the pandemic, flexibility in its various forms has become an established norm, contributing to genuine employee commitment to the organization.

Hybrid models exemplify this expectation of flexibility. In our experience, employees highly value the ability to work within such a model. Of course, not all jobs can be done remotely, but to the extent that job dynamics allow, we believe that offering this type of model is the best thing an organization can do to attract top talent and engage them in achieving organizational goals.

Q: How do you help leaders develop the adaptability and versatility needed to navigate the complex labor market?

A: To thrive in a volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous environment, leaders need a blend of skills and approaches that foster adaptability and resilience. Through coaching, VON DER HEIDE focuses on cultivating a growth mindset, encouraging leaders to view challenges as learning opportunities. Our customized leadership development programs aim to bring the future into the present, fostering a culture of collaboration and innovation, where dialogue with teams and trust form the foundation for project success.

A fundamental part of our approach focuses on mindset — belief systems, thought processes, and the will to act — to promote personal transformation and, consequently, the evolution of the companies they lead. In a world marked by constant disruption and rapid change, what enables you to stay relevant with a value proposition that aligns with shifting needs — whether as an individual, employee, or leader — is your mindset, as competencies quickly become outdated in a fast-paced, disruptive environment.

Q: Why is integrating HR into the C-suite essential for organizational success?

A: Integrating HR into the C-suite is crucial for aligning human capital strategies with overarching organizational objectives. This strategic partnership elevates HR's role, allowing leaders to contribute meaningfully to executive decision-making and organizational direction. By positioning HR as a vital component of the executive team, organizations ensure that talent management, culture, and employee engagement are prioritized in high-level discussions.

This integration not only empowers HR to leverage data analytics for insights into workforce trends but also enables proactive talent planning. This collaborative approach fosters alignment across all departments, allowing for a unified response to challenges and opportunities. Ultimately, embedding HR within the C-suite enhances organizational agility and drives sustainable growth, ensuring that human capital is recognized as a key asset in achieving long-term success.